In recent years, with spread of an information processing device (personal computer), an image output device, which carries out an output process of an image data transmitted from the information processing device, has come into increasing use. Examples of the image output device encompasses (i) a printer equipped only with a printing function, (ii) a multifunction printer which is equipped with, in addition to the printing function, a data transmission function such as a scanning function, a facsimile transmission function, and an e-mail transmission function, and (iii) an MFP (multifunction peripheral).
The image output device, in many cases, is connected to a network such as a LAN. At an office or the like, a plurality of image output devices are provided at a plurality of places. A user selects an image output device to use, out of the plurality of image output devices, in consideration of locations of the plurality of image output devices and a function(s) of each of the plurality of image output devices.
Recently, we see in town more and more places like an Internet café, in which a network is provided via which a user can connect to the Internet. The user brings his own information processing device, such as a mobile PC, to such an environment, so that he can connect to the Internet even when he is outside his home.
Note that, to print out an image data by use of an image output device A connected to a network, it is necessary that a printer driver for the image output device A be installed on an information processing device from which to transmit the image data. Likewise, to print out the image data by use of another image output device B connected to the network (the image output devices A and B differ in models), it is necessary that a printer driver for the image output device B be installed on the information processing device.
That is, in order to use a plurality of image output devices connected to a network, it is necessary that printer drivers for the respective plurality of image output devices be installed on an information processing device from which to transmit image data.
As such, every time an image output device is newly provided in an environment like the early-described office where a plurality of image output devices have been provided, an IT administrator who is in charge of an information processing device and the plurality of image output devices contacts a user of the information processing device, which is under the supervision of the IT administrator, so as to have the user install a printer driver for the image output device, which has been newly provided.
However, the user of the information processing device might not bother to install the printer driver even if he wants to use the image output device, which has been newly provided. In such a case, the user does not know the presence of such an image output device, let alone its functions.
In a case of using an image output device C provided in an environment like an Internet café, it is necessary that the user use the image output device C by temporarily transferring image data from the user's own information processing device to a USB memory or the like and then inserting the USB memory into an information processing device which is provided in the environment and on which a printer driver for the image output device C has been installed.
However, in a case where the image data to be printed out is highly confidential, many users hesitate to print out the image data via another information processing device. There is accordingly a demand for a way to print out image data by transferring the image data directly from the user's own information processing device.
Patent Literature 1 describes a technique of converting application data, which has been created on the basis of a given application program, into data in a form of a compatible format file for printing (hereinafter referred to as ‘compatible format data’), for example, data in a form of a Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
Conversion of the application data into the compatible format data allows a user of an information processing device to print out the compatible format data via any image output device capable of printing out the compatible format data, even if a printer driver for the image output device has not been installed on the information processing device.
This eliminates (i) the need for the IT administrator to have the user of the information processing device to install the printer driver and (ii) the need for the user to install the printer driver. It also becomes possible for a user to have image data printed out from an image output device, provided in the environment like an Internet café, by directly transmitting the image data from the user's own information processing device to the image output device.